1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to battery packs for information processing apparatuses and the information processing apparatuses, and more particularly, to a high capacity battery pack for a portable personal computer and the portable personal computer to which the pack is detachably connected.
2. Description of the Related Art
A portable personal computer has a battery pack connecting part by which a battery pack is connected to the portable personal computer, situated at a front end side face part of the body part and having a concave shape. A battery pack is connected to the battery pack connecting part, so that the battery pack is placed in an external form of the portable personal computer. A battery arranged in the battery pack is used as an electric power source to operate the portable personal computer.
As an option of the battery pack, a high capacity battery pack for a high capacity battery having a higher capacity than a normal battery can be used. Since the high capacity battery pack has a bigger size than a normal battery pack, an overhang part is formed in a state where the high capacity battery pack is connected to the battery pack connecting part of the body part. The overhang part overhangs from a body part side to a front side.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a related art a high capacity battery pack 10 and a battery pack connecting part 22 of a portable personal computer 20. FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the portable personal computer 20 to which the high capacity battery pack 10 shown in FIG. 1 is connected. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the high capacity battery pack 10 is clamped to the battery pack connecting part 22 situated at a front end side face part of a body part 21 of the portable personal computer 20. The high capacity battery pack 10 has an upper surface 11 which is a plane. When the high capacity battery pack 10 is connected to the portable personal computer 20, a overhang part 12 overhangs from a front end side wall part 23 to a front side, namely a Y2 side. A liquid crystal display part 25 is capable of being opened and closed against the body part 21. An operator hangs and pulls up a front end part 26 of the liquid crystal display part 25 with a fingertip part 30 in order to open the liquid crystal display part 25 and use the portable personal computer 20.
However, the overhang part 12 of the high capacity battery pack 10, overhanging from the front end side wall 23 to the front side, namely the Y2 side, is a obstacle to hanging the front end part 26 of the liquid crystal display part 25 with the fingertip part 30 of the operator.
Hence, it is hard for the operator to operate to open the liquid crystal display part 25 of the related art portable personal computer 20, and a nail of the fingertip 30 of the operator may be harmed.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and useful battery pack for an information processing apparatus and the information processing apparatus, in which one or more of the problems described above are eliminated.
Another and more specific object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack for an information processing apparatus having a display part and the information processing apparatus, wherein the battery pack has a hollow part by which a fingertip part of an operator is accepted, so that the fingertip part is hang on an front end part of the display part of the information processing apparatus easily to open the display part.
The above objects of the present invention are achieved by a battery pack detachably connected to an information processing apparatus, wherein the information processing apparatus includes a body part and a display part supported by the body part and thereby the display part can be opened and closed against the body part, including a housing part having a hollow part in which a battery can be housed, wherein the hollow part is situated at a position which faces an end part of the display part when the display part is closed. The above objects of the present invention are also achieved by an information processing apparatus, including a body part in which an information processing part for processing information is arranged, a display part supported by the body part and thereby the display part can be opened and closed against the body part, and a battery pack which is detachably connected to the information processing apparatus and includes a housing part having a hollow part in which a battery can be housed, wherein the hollow part is situated at a position which faces an end part of the display part when the display part is closed.
According to the present invention described above, when an operator hangs and pulls up the front end part of the display part with a fingertip part of the operator in order to open the display part and use the information processing apparatus, it is not necessary to force to enter the fingertip part into a position between the front end part of the display part and the battery pack. That is, when the operator puts the fingertip at the front end part of the closed display part, the fingertip part is accepted by the hollow part. As a result, the front end part of the display part is easy to be hung by the fingertip part. Therefore, it is possible for the operator to open the display part smoothly and prevent a nail of the fingertip part from being harmed.
The hollow part may have a full length of the housing part in a width direction.
According to the present invention as described above, when the operator puts the fingertip on any position at the front end part of the closed display part in the width direction in order to attempt to open the display part, the fingertip part enters into the hollow part. That is, the front end part of the display part is easily hung with the fingertip part by reaching out the fingertip part to a convenient position to operate at the front end part of the display part, without seeking a position of the hollow part consciously. Hence, an operator can open the display part easily and accurately.
The housing part may include a first battery line housing part and a second battery line housing part in which batteries having column configurations can be respectively are housed, the first battery line housing part and the second battery line housing part are situated parallely in a width direction of the housing part, the housing part has a configuration fitting configurations of the batteries, and the hollow part is situated at a position between the first battery line housing part and the second battery line housing part.
According to the present invention as described above, it is possible to form the hollow part on the housing of the battery pack reasonably, without making the battery line housing parts of the housing in the battery pack narrow.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be come more apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.